How to Create a Material Purchase Order List in JobTread Using Custom Budget Views
- Tammy Hoang
- 12 hours ago
- 5 min read
Knowing how to create a material purchase order list in JobTread is one of the most practical skills a contractor can learn. Instead of manually adding up how much lumber, stone, or mulch a job needs, you can let JobTread do the math — pulling every material from your budget and totaling it automatically. The tool that makes this possible is the custom budget view. At Construction Cost Accounting (CCA), we help contractors set up JobTread custom budget views so their purchasing and field teams work from one accurate JobTread material list. This guide walks through the full process step by step, so you can build a clean, printable JobTread purchase order list for any job.
Why Use a Custom Budget View for Your Material List?
On a large job, the same material often appears in several places. A landscaping project might use stone in the front yard beds and again in a backyard retaining wall. If you order from each line separately, you risk over-ordering, under-ordering, or paying for two deliveries instead of one. JobTread custom budget views solve this. A custom budget view lets you filter your budget down to just materials and group identical items together — so JobTread adds up the total quantity across the whole job. The result is an accurate construction material takeoff you can hand straight to a supplier. This is the fastest, cleanest way to turn a budget into a JobTread purchase order list.
Step 1: Navigate to the Job Budget
Open the specific job you need a material list for. This method is especially useful when a job has multiple services — for example, front yard and backyard landscaping — and you need JobTread to aggregate the total quantity of materials across the entire job rather than service by service.
Step 2: Create a Custom Budget View
Inside the budget section, click the gear icon (settings).
Give the view a clear, descriptive name — for example, “Purchase Order Landscape Materials.” A descriptive name makes the view easy to find again on the next job.
You have now created the JobTread budget view that will become your material list. The next steps configure what it shows.
Step 3: Configure Grouping and Filtering
This is the step that makes the list useful for purchasing and field use. Two settings matter:
Group by Item Name: This groups identical materials together. If stone or fabric is used in different parts of the job, the view shows each instance but adds them together at the top of the group for a grand total. Using group by item name JobTread is what produces the aggregated quantity you need.
Filter by Material: Set the filter to show only “Material” items. This excludes labor and equipment costs, so your purchase list contains nothing but the materials you actually need to buy.
One tip: filter by item, not by cost code. The same material — rock, for example — might be used across different trades or services, such as landscape beds and retaining walls. The group by item name JobTread setting catches every instance of that material no matter which cost code it sits under, which is exactly what you want for a complete JobTread material list.
Which Columns Should Your Material List Show?
Step 4 is choosing the data columns that appear on the list. The right columns turn a basic JobTread budget view into a working purchasing document. Recommended fields include:
Lead time — so your team knows how early to order each material.
Item details or internal notes — specifications and reminders the crew or supplier needs.
SKU numbers — so the supplier pulls the exact product, with no guessing.
Preferred suppliers — so each material is sourced from the right vendor.
Choosing strong columns is what makes this a true construction purchase order software output — not just a budget printout, but a document a supplier can fill from directly. Used this way, JobTread becomes the construction purchase order software your purchasing team actually relies on.
Want JobTread Set Up to Do This Automatically?
CCA provides JobTread consulting — we build your custom budget views, reporting, and purchasing setup so your team works from accurate data. Book a 30-minute call.
Step 5: Review the Aggregated Totals
Once the view is set, JobTread does the math for you. If a project needs mulch in three different areas, the view displays the total yardage required for the entire job at the top of that item group. Take a moment to review these aggregated totals before you order — this is your last check that the JobTread material list is complete and the quantities make sense.
Step 6: Export and Print
With the view configured, use the export function to create a PDF. This JobTread export PDF gives you a clean, professional document you can print and hand to crews in the field, or send to suppliers as a material purchase order list. The JobTread export PDF also doubles as a construction material takeoff record you can keep on file. Because the view is saved, you can reuse it on the next job — and once your team trusts the process, generating a JobTread purchase order list takes minutes instead of an afternoon of manual counting.
How Does CCA Help Contractors with JobTread?
Construction Cost Accounting is a construction accounting and software firm. We are not a generic accounting office — we work inside construction software every day, and JobTread consulting is one of our core services. Here is how CCA helps contractors get more out of JobTread:
JobTread consulting and setup: We build your custom budget views, cost catalog, and reporting so material lists, purchasing, and job costing all run from accurate data.
JobTread advising and issue resolution: We review how your team uses JobTread, troubleshoot problems, and fix the setup gaps that cause over-ordering and budget errors.
Construction bookkeeping: Because purchasing drives your costs, CCA also handles full construction bookkeeping — job costing, WIP reporting, and reconciliations in QuickBooks.
Software support beyond JobTread: CCA also supports contractors who run Procore, so whatever platform you use, your construction systems and your books stay aligned.
If you have been looking for a construction bookkeeper near me who also understands the software side, that is exactly what CCA does. A well-built JobTread budget view saves your team real money on every order — and CCA makes sure your setup is doing that work for you.
Turn Your JobTread Budget Into a Purchasing Tool
A custom budget view turns your JobTread budget into something far more useful than a cost estimate — it becomes an accurate, printable material purchase order list that prevents over-ordering and keeps your jobs on budget. If you want help configuring your views, columns, and reporting, Construction Cost Accounting offers JobTread consulting built on real construction experience — and if you need a construction bookkeeper near me to keep the numbers behind your purchasing clean, CCA does that too. Book a consultation with CCA today and let's get your JobTread set up to work for you.
Comments